Prevalence of dyslipidemia and mean blood lipid values in Taiwan: results from the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT, 1993-1996)

This paper reports the blood lipid status of people aged 4 years and older in Taiwan. The data is based on the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT: 1993-1996), which adopted a multi-stage, stratified clustering sampling scheme. Altogether, 5097 subjects (2451 males and 2646 females) had data on triglyceride and 5643 subjects (2736 males and 2907 females) had data on cholesterol. We found that (a) cholesterol levels of males were lower than females in mid-to old age group (> or = 45 years old); (b) triglyceride values of females were lower than males in young adulthood (19-44 years), but higher than males after the age of 45 years, and (c) adult females had higher HDL-C value and lower ratio of total cholesterol to HDL-C than males. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia was 10.2% in adult males and 12.6% in mid-to-old aged men, and that in females was 11.2% and 24.4%, respectively. The prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia was 13.4% and 6.1% in adult males and females (> or = 19 years as a whole), respectively. It was 12.3% in mid-to-old aged men (> or = 45 years), and 11.9% in women. The mean cholesterol values were similar to values of several previous surveys in different areas of Taiwan. But it was higher than those in some areas of Mainland China, and lower than those of western countries. People in metropolitan cities had a higher level of blood cholesterol than other areas. The average triglyceride values of males and females were higher than those of previous studies in Taiwan and of people in Mainland China. Mountainous stratum with predominantly aboriginal residents had higher level of triglycerides and body mass index (BMI) than other strata. The associations between dietary intakes of men and women and blood lipids were examined controlling for age and BMI. Result showed that Keys score, which was derived from saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and dietary cholesterol of a 24-hour recall, was positively related to blood cholesterol and LDL-C in men, but not in women. Average alcohol intakes per day were related to HDL-C positively, but LDL-C negatively in men and women. The regional differences in blood lipid profiles in Taiwan are consistent with the dietary and life-style variations island-wide.     

Heights and weights of Da-an boys: did sisters really make a difference?

This study further examined the negative association between boys' growth and the presence of sisters within a relatively affluent community in Taipei, Taiwan. Among 596 boys born in 1976-77, differences in height and log-transformed weight were judged using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with measurement age as a covariate, and parental education level (four levels), number of sisters (0, 1, 2 or 3+) and number of brothers (0, 1, 2+) as predictors. The relative importance of birth order and sibling sex was examined among the near majority of boys with one sibling (47%, 278/596). The sibling composition variable was defined using mutually exclusive categories representing individuals with one sibling: either one older or younger brother or sister. All boys contributed information before leaving middle school at a mean age of 14.9 +/- 0.4 years SD. The results were compared with similar analyses of data for 154 of these same boys for whom measurements were available from primary school entry at a mean age of 64 +/- 0.3 years SD onward. Results were also compared with data for a cohort of 153 boys who entered primary school later in 1986. Results confirm that boys from the Da-an area born in the mid-1970s who did not have sisters were significantly taller (2.2-2.5 cm, p < or = 0.008) and heavier (3.0-3.9 kg, p < or = 0.016) than those with one or two sisters. However, the 26 boys with three or more sisters, most of whom were last-born, were somewhat taller than those with one or two sisters. The same curvilinear relationships in height and weight appeared both among boys as they prepared to leave middle school and among the subset also measured just after entering primary school. When numbers of sisters were statistically controlled, the presence of two or more brothers was also significantly negatively associated with mean stature, but not weight, among middle school boys. Analyses among boys with one sibling revealed that birth order was associated with mean stature, but only if the sibling was female; an older sister was associated with a greater deficit in mean stature than a younger sister. Evidence of rising educational expectations, continued declines in family size with fewer gender-related differences in numbers of siblings, and a clear secular increase in body size in this community among children entering primary school from 1982 to 1986 suggest a possible explanatory model.     

四川凉山彝族的人体测量学

本文调查了402例(男197例,女205例)彝族成人的68项体质指标,计算了20项体质指数,对凉山彝族体质进行了初步分析。结果表明:1)四川凉山彝族头面部主要特征为圆头型、中鼻型、狭面型。体部特征为中躯干型、中骨盆型,彝族男性为亚中等型身材,女性为中等型身材;2)四川彝族与广西、云南彝族比较,头宽、额最小宽、形态面高值最大;头长值小;口裂宽、鼻宽居中;面宽值接近,鼻型均为中鼻型。四川彝族男性身高与云南彝族接近,明显高于广西彝族(p<0.01),四川彝族女性身材明显高于云南彝族和广西彝族(p<0.01);3)四川凉山彝族体质特征与阿昌族、怒族、仡佬族等南方少数民族较接近,与四川汉族最接近。     

A behavioral comparison of male and female adults with high functioning autism spectrum conditions

Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) affect more males than females in the general population. However, within ASC it is unclear if there are phenotypic sex differences. Testing for similarities and differences between the sexes is important not only for clinical assessment but also has implications for theories of typical sex differences and of autism. Using cognitive and behavioral measures, we investigated similarities and differences between the sexes in age- and IQ-matched adults with ASC (high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome). Of the 83 (45 males and 38 females) participants, 62 (33 males and 29 females) met Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) cut-off criteria for autism in childhood and were included in all subsequent analyses. The severity of childhood core autism symptoms did not differ between the sexes. Males and females also did not differ in self-reported empathy, systemizing, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive traits/symptoms or mentalizing performance. However, adult females with ASC showed more lifetime sensory symptoms (p = 0.036), fewer current socio-communication difficulties (p = 0.001), and more self-reported autistic traits (p = 0.012) than males. In addition, females with ASC who also had developmental language delay had lower current performance IQ than those without developmental language delay (p<0.001), a pattern not seen in males. The absence of typical sex differences in empathizing-systemizing profiles within the autism spectrum confirms a prediction from the extreme male brain theory. Behavioral sex differences within ASC may also reflect different developmental mechanisms between males and females with ASC. We discuss the importance of the superficially better socio-communication ability in adult females with ASC in terms of why females with ASC may more often go under-recognized, and receive their diagnosis later, than males.     

Nutritional status of Efe pygmies and Lese horticulturists

We assessed the nutritional status of 90 pygmies (Efe) and 211 members of a neighboring horticultural Lese in the Ituri forest in northeast Zaire. Clinical signs of iron and iodine deficiency were highly prevalent, but the frequency of these and other clinical signs of nutritional deficiency did not differ between the two groups. Infectious diseases such as yaws, cellulitis, and filiariasis were common. Absolute heights and weights of both Efe males and females aged 2–18 years were less than the 5th percentile of the National Center for Health Statistics standards. Weights for height of both groups were within the normal range. Weights and heights, expressed as percentages of the 50th percentile for age and sex, were significantly lower (P < .001) in Efe males and females than among Lese males and females, but weights for height did not differ significantly. Z-Scores of height and weight were also significantly lower in Efe males and females than among their Lese counterparts. The differences in weight and height, expressed either as a percentage of the 50th percentile or as Z-scores, were most apparent in older adolescents and persisted among adults. The normal weight for height among both populations indicated that acute undernutrition did not exist at the time of the survey. Despite comparable levels of adult fatness, measured by triceps skinfold thickness, heights of Efe males and females were lower than those of the Lese. These observations support the hypothesis that genetic differences account for the short stature of the Ituri pygmy. However, because the environments shared by the two groups are not identical and because other practices differ, nutritional effects cannot be excluded.     

Australia's marine biogeography revisited: Back to the future?

The recognition of broad biogeographic provinces provides an important framework for ecological and conservation biological research. Marine biologists have long recognized distinct biogeographic provinces in southern Australia, primarily on the basis of qualitative differences in intertidal species assemblages. Here we provide an a priori test for these traditional eastern (Peronian), western (Flindersian) and south‐eastern (Maugean) provinces. Specifically, we analyse distributional data for approximately 1500 algal species using the newly available Australian Virtual Herbarium, an online database of herbarium specimens. Our quantitative algal analyses across southern Australia identify three distinct biogeographic assemblages, consistent with traditional qualitative provinces. We argue that these broad provinces provide a highly effective framework for understanding and managing Australia's marine biodiversity. In particular, biogeographic provinces provide a regional framework for integrating the ongoing discovery of biological variation at finer scales. More broadly therefore we recommend that biologists undertake quantitative analyses to test provincial biogeographic boundaries around the globe.     

Sexual segregation by Masai giraffes at two spatial scales

In this paper alternative explanations for observed patterns of sexual segregation by giraffes are examined at two spatial scales: within-habitats and within-landscape. Habitats are defined as recognizable plant associations and the landscape as the collection of all available habitat types. The study was conducted in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania. At the within-landscape level, all sex and age classes of giraffes exhibited high degrees of preference for riverine habitats. Sex differences in habitat selection were mostly due to females with young, who tended to select open floodplain habitats in which their vigilance time was lowest. Males, and females without young, preferred more heavily-wooded habitat. Habitat preferences were not related to observed habitat-specific forage intake rates for either males or females. Within habitats, male and female giraffes selected different feeding heights, males feeding higher in the canopy than females. Females showed a strong tendency to generalize with respect to feeding height. It is suggested that a sexual dimorphism–body size hypothesis provides a parsimonious explanation for the observed feeding height selection patterns, whereas a reproductive strategy hypothesis can explain sex-differences in habitat selection patterns within the landscape.     

Sex Differences in Feeding,Height, and Space Use in Hapalemur griseus

I investigated sex differences in feeding ecology in a wild group of Hapalemur griseus, gray bamboo lemur, in southeastern Madagascar. Males and females differed in daily dietary diversity, height use while feeding, and spatial position within the group. Based on all-occurrences of feeding bouts and 15-min point samples, the adult female had significantly higher daily dietary diversity indices than those of males. The female also fed at significantly lower heights than the males did. There are also significant differences between age classes with the subadult male exhibiting the lowest dietary diversity and feeding at the greatest heights. During feeding, the female stayed in closest proximity to both juveniles, whereas adult males were peripheral. In contrast, the males moved closer in proximity to the female when resting and traveling. These sex differences could be explained 1) by the metabolic cost of reproduction for females, 2) as strategies to mitigate the cost of feeding competition between males and females, 3) by male role performance as a predator detector, and 4) by different social priorities of males and females.     

2020年我国草地贪夜蛾蔓延发生趋势及预测

草地贪夜蛾于2019年1月入侵我国迅速在我国扩散、定殖,并已在云南、广东、海南、福建、广西、四川等中国大陆南方6省（区）周年繁殖。本文根据我国2020年1-7月草地贪夜蛾主要扩散事件参数,建立了侵入省级区域数量、县级区域数量、发生危害面积与扩散时间长度关系模型,分别为Yp=4.7082e^0.00791T、Yc=83.5209e^0.01342T、Ys=2.8059+0.1170(1.0377T)。根据以上模型预测出2020年8月底-9月初幼虫发生危害的省级区域数量超过30个;9月上旬发生危害县级区域数量将达到最大,可能在2 267~2 491个之间;9月上旬-中旬危害作物面积最大,为409.5~515.7多万ha。     

Satellite‐derived estimations of spatial and seasonal variation in tropospheric carbon dioxide mass over China

China has frequently been questioned about the data transparency and accuracy of its energy and emission statistics. Satellite‐derived remote sensing data potentially provide a useful tool to study the variation in carbon dioxide (CO₂) mass over areas of the earth's surface. In this study, Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) tropospheric CO₂ concentration data and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis tropopause data were integrated to obtain estimates of tropospheric CO₂ mass variations over the surface of China. These variations were mapped to show seasonal and spatial patterns with reference to China's provincial areas. The estimates of provincial tropospheric CO₂ were related to statistical estimates of CO₂ emissions for the provinces and considered with reference to provincial populations and gross regional products (GRP). Tropospheric CO₂ masses for the Chinese provinces ranged from 53 ± 1 to 14,470 ± 63 million tonnes were greater for western than for eastern provinces and were primarily a function of provincial land area. Adjusted for land area troposphere CO₂ mass was higher for eastern and southern provinces than for western and northern provinces. Tropospheric CO₂ mass over China varied with season being highest in July and August and lowest in January and February. The average annual emission from provincial energy statistics of CO₂ by China was estimated as 10.3% of the average mass of CO₂ in the troposphere over China. The relationship between statistical emissions relative to tropospheric CO₂ mass was higher than 20% for developed coastal provinces of China, with Shanghai, Tianjin, and Beijing having exceptionally high percentages. The percentages were generally lower than 10% for western inland provinces. Provincial estimates of emissions of CO₂ were significantly positively related to provincial populations and gross regional products (GRP) when the values for the provincial municipalities Shanghai, Tianjin, and Beijing were excluded from the linear regressions. An increase in provincial GRP per person was related to a curvilinear increase in CO₂ emissions, this being particularly marked for Beijing, Tianjin, and especially Shanghai. The absence of detection of specific elevation of CO₂ mass in the troposphere above these municipalities may relate to the rapid mixing and dispersal of CO₂ emissions or the proportion of the depth of the troposphere sensed by GOSAT.     

从体质特征看中国南方汉族的人种归属

2009年至2012年研究组调查了中国南方汉族15154例(男性为7340例,女性为7814例)的身高、体重和16项测量指标,并计算出12项指数,将南方汉族与蒙古人种北亚类型族群、南亚类型族群及东亚类型族群的韩国人、日本人进行了比较。结果显示:1)南方汉族头面部主要指标介于北亚、南亚类型族群之间;南方汉族男性更接近于北亚类型族群,而南方汉族女性比男性头面部特征更接近南亚类型族群。2)南方汉族男性头部的长、宽、高、围度小于东亚类型族群,面部比韩国人、日本人狭窄;南方汉族女性头的长、宽、围度、下颌角间宽值小于韩国人、日本人,头较高,面部比韩国人、日本人狭窄。南方汉族男性、女性与韩国人、日本人体质差异较大。3)聚类分析结果提示,中国南方汉族与韩国人、日本人体质差异较大。南方汉族男性体质相对接近于北亚类型族群,女性体质介于北亚、南亚类型族群之间。华南汉族体质在南方汉族中有一定的特殊性。     

Influence of glaciation on divergence patterns of the endemic minnow, Zacco pachycephalus, in Taiwan

The genetic subdivision of the endemic minnow, Zacco pachycephalus, in 12 rivers of Taiwan was studied by allozyme electrophoresis. Among 26 loci surveyed, six were significantly differentiated among sites. Allozyme genotype frequencies within samples accord with Hardy-Weinberg expectations. A highly divergent genetic structure among sites (FST = 0.497) with low genetic variability within samples (H = 0.006-0.062, mean = 0.03) suggests that local populations originated from a small number of founders. UPGMA and Fitch trees derived from Nei's genetic distance and hierarchical analysis of FST values reveal that samples of Z. pachycephalus can be divided into northern, middle, and southern subgroups and that most genetic variation (87%) is distributed among rather than within groups. It is proposed that there were two isolated refugia during the most recent glacial period, and that populations of the southern group (Group I) originated from a southern refugium in Taiwan below the boundary of the Kaoping River, and other groups (Group II), including northern and middle subgroups, originated from a refugium located on the extinct land-bridge between Taiwan and mainland China. The postglacial division between northern and middle subgroups may be due to hydrological differences between these two regions.     

Patrilineal family values,family planning and variation in stature among Taiwanese six-year-olds

It has been argued that patrilineal joint family systems tend to bias family planning decisions in favour of sons. A simple model suggests that in such societies, any given son will be more highly valued by his parents (1) the fewer his brothers and (2) the earlier his birth is in the brother series. A daughter's value will be greater (1) the fewer brothers she has and (2) the earlier her birth is relative to other sisters. This study first addresses the extent of son preference as inferred from family composition data for 772 Taiwanese first-graders born in the mid-1970s in two socioeconomically distinct communities in Taipei, Taiwan. It then uses linear regression to consider whether the model criteria help account for statural variation among children in each study area when controlling for differences in measurement age, parental education and housing. With respect to family composition and gender preference, available evidence was consistent with previous surveys. While better-educated parents in the more affluent study area had significantly fewer children (p < 0.0005) and were more willing to stop without a son, girls there, as in the less affluent area, were still significantly more likely than boys to belong to large sibships (p < or = 0.005). Evidence from mean height of males and females partially accords with hypothetical predictions. In the less affluent area, the interaction effect of male birth order and the presence of younger siblings was significantly associated with mean stature (p = 0.002). Males without brothers were 2.0 cm taller than males with either an older or a younger brother (116.3 +/- 0.5 cm vs 114.3 +/- 0.4 cm). Males who had both younger and older brothers, but often no sisters, were about as tall, however, as those without brothers. A similar, but less pronounced, pattern was found among males in the more affluent area, but only among those who had sisters. These boys were also consistently shorter than boys without sisters (115.6 +/- 0.6 cm vs 117.7 +/- 0.6 cm; p = 0.001). Patterns of mean female stature did not clearly support the hypothesis. Girls in the more affluent area were relatively tall and did not show significant variation. Results among less affluent girls showed significant contrasts, but not necessarily in the predicted direction.     

How Short is Too Short According to Parents of Primary Care Patients

ObjectiveHeight is a physical trait on a continuum. The threshold between normal and abnormal is arbitrarily set but can potentially influence medical decision-making. We sought to examine parents’ perceptions of adult heights and associated demographic factors.MethodsParents of pediatric primary care patients of various heights completed a one-time survey. Parents answered the question “How short is too short?” for adult males and females. The results were summarized as median [interquartile range]. Factors significantly associated with height threshold by simple linear regression were included in a multivariable mixed effects analysis of covariance model.ResultsA total of 1,820 surveys were completed (83% response rate, 1,587 females, 231 males). The median threshold height deemed too short for adult females was 56 inches [48, 59] among male respondents and 57 inches [50, 60] among females (P < .05). The median threshold height for adult males was 61 inches among males [60, 64] and females [59, 66] (P < .05). The median of male minus female heights per respondent (delta heights) was 5 [2, 7] inches. Factors found to be significant main effects in a parsimonious model were sex of the adult considered, height of respondent, sex of respondent, respondent race, primary care practice, income, and having concerns about their child’s height.ConclusionTaller acceptable height thresholds were perceived by respondents who were taller, wealthier, white, female, from nonurban practices, or who had a personal concern about their child’s height. Male heights were expected to be taller than female heights. Such traits may influence who is concerned and more likely to seek medical treatment for their children. (Endocr Pract. 2014;20: 1113-1121)     

闽南人的体质特征

在福建漳州地区调查了322例男性(城市男性为149例,乡村汉族男性为173例)和357例女性(城市女性为164例,乡村女性为193例)成人的86项体质指标,计算了24项体质指数,统计了指数分型情况,与我国族群资料进行了比较,对闽南人体质特征进行了初步分析。结果 1)闽南人有皱褶率高,有蒙古褶率低,眼裂高度眼裂多为狭窄型,眼外角多高于眼内角,鼻根高度多为中等型,直鼻背,颧部突出度多为微弱型;鼻基部男性多呈水平,女性多呈上翘;鼻翼高度多为中等,鼻孔最大径多为斜位,鼻翼较宽;男性耳垂多为圆形,女性多为三角形;上唇皮肤部高度多为中等,红唇男性薄型率、中等型均较高,女性薄型率最高,发黑,肤黄、眼褐。2)总体说来,闽南人头面部测量指标值介于北亚、南亚类型族群之间。3)从指数均数来看,闽南人男女性均为圆头型、高头型、狭面型,狭鼻型。城市女性为狭头型,城市男性、乡村男性、乡村女性为中头型。闽南人头面部指数值更接近于南亚类型族群。4)从体部指标值和体部指数来看。闽南人更接近于北亚类型族群。闽南人体质介于南亚与北亚类型族群之间,男性相对接近于北亚类型族群,女性相对接近于南亚类型族群。     

毛翼管鼻蝠性二型特征及其在湖北和浙江的分布新纪录

哺乳动物的性别二态性（Sexual dimorphism）是动物中的一种普遍现象,常表现为雄性个体大于雌性个体,而在蝙蝠中则表现出雌性个体体型大于雄性的偏雌性二型现象,其具体的驱动机制仍未明确。本文对采集于广东、广西、江西、湖南、海南、湖北和浙江的32只毛翼管鼻蝠（Harpiocephalus harpia）进行头骨与翼型在两性特征上的多元统计分析,尝试探讨其性二型驱动机制。结果表明：毛翼管鼻蝠雌雄在头骨中与牙齿及咀嚼力相关的区域存在明显分化,而翼型（含翼指标和翼面积）在整体和局部特征上均无显著性差异,该结果提示雌雄可能存在食性上的分化,更倾向于“资源竞争假说”而非“大母蝠优势假说”。本研究于2017年7~10月分别在湖北（3雄,2雌）和浙江（2雄,5雌）采集的12只毛翼管鼻蝠,为二省翼手目分布新纪录,该发现丰富和完善了我国翼手目分布信息。上述标本保存于广州大学华南生物多样性保护与利用重点实验室。     

福建畲族人群体型特征

史料记载早在唐代以前畲族就居住在粤、闽、赣三省的交界处,现今畲族主要分布在福建、浙江、江西、广东、安徽、湖南、贵州等7个省份,但关于畲族的起源与迁移在学界一直存在较大争议。本研究在福建省福安市和福鼎市随机选取畲族年满18周岁的成人504人(其中男289人,女215人) 测量身高、体质量、肱骨内外上髁间径、股骨内外上髁间径、上臂紧张围、小腿围、肱三头肌皮褶、肩胛下皮褶、髂前上棘皮褶及小腿内侧皮褶等10 项体质指标,利用Heath-Carter 体型法分析福建东部畲族人群的体型,畲族男性平均体型(5.02-3.76-1.76)为偏中胚层的内胚层型,女性平均体型(6.91-3.50-1.23)为偏中胚层的内胚层型。将福建畲族三个因子值与其他少数民族及汉族进行比较,结果显示畲族体型与汉族群体更为接近,其中与闽南语族群汉族、闽东语族群汉族和广西汉族最为相近,与南方少数民族族群反而差异更大,提示在畲族的形成过程与汉族有着很大联系。本研究为畲族族源研究提供生物学方面的参考依据,也为我国人类学研究补充必要的数据和资料。     

中国汉族人的身体围度

2009~2013年在中国22个省、自治区测量了26695例(乡村男性8174例,城市男性4791例,乡村女性8327例,城市女性5403例)的头围、颈围、平静胸围、吸气时胸围、呼气时胸围、腹围、臀围、大腿围、小腿围、上臂围、前臂围、上臂最大围值,进行了围度与纬度、经度、年龄的相关分析,城市与乡村汉族、北方与南方汉族身体围度均数的比较。结果发现,男性的上臂围、上臂最大围与纬度无显著相关,其余10项围度均与纬度呈显著正相关。女性12项围度均与纬度呈显著正相关。男性、女性12项围度均与经度呈显著正相关,男性四肢围度多与年龄呈显著负相关。女性下肢围度也与年龄呈显著负相关,但上肢3项围度与年龄呈显著正相关。男性、女性躯干5项围度、颈围随年龄增加而增大。北方男性除头围、上臂围值与南方男性接近外,其余10项围度值均大于南方男性。北方女性12项围度值均大于南方女性。城市、乡村汉族12项围度的差异均具有统计学意义。城市汉族的各项围度均大于乡村汉族。     

Growth and age determination of African savanna elephants

Understanding the population dynamics of savanna elephants depends on estimating population parameters such as the age at first reproduction, calving interval and age-specific survival rates. The generation of these parameters, however, relies on the ability to accurately determine the age of individuals, but a reliable age estimation technique for free-ranging elephants is presently not available. Shoulder heights of elephants were measured in 10 populations in five countries across southern and eastern Africa. Data included shoulder height measurements from two populations where the age of each individual was known (i.e. Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa and Amboseli National Park, Kenya). From the known-age data, Von Bertalanffy growth functions were constructed for both male and female elephants. Savanna elephants were found to attain similar asymptotic shoulder heights in the 10 populations, while individuals in the two known-age populations grew at the same rate. The Von Bertalanffy growth curves allowed for the accurate age estimation of females up to 15 years of age and males up to 36 years of age. The results indicate that shoulder height can serve as an indicator of chronological age for elephants below 15 years of age for females and 36 years of age for males. Ages derived from these growth curves can then be used to generate age-specific population variables, which will help assess the demographic status of savanna elephant populations across Africa.     

Nutritional status of adults in rural Mali.

An anthropometric assessment was conducted of 441 adults from six rural villages in southern Mali. As is typical for human populations, females are shorter and lighter than males. Both females (N = 320) and males (N = 121) are shorter and lighter than their U.S. counterparts. Mean weight in the sample is 53.4 +/- 8.5 kilos for females and 58.8 +/- 6.5 kilos for males. Mean height is 160.4 +/- 5.7 cm for females and 171.3 +/- 6.6 cm for males. The data for height in males are very similar to those reported from other surveys in Mali, and show no evidence for a positive secular trend in height. Mean body mass index (BMI) is 20.8 for females and 20.0 for males. These are lower than U.S. averages, but well above suggested cutoff points for malnutrition in adults. Average arm circumference is 26.5 cm for females and 26.4 cm for males. Females have relatively large arm circumferences due, in part, to the heavy manual labor they perform. Average head circumference is 53.0 cm for females and 54.8 cm for males. For both sexes, these values are more than 1 standard deviation (SD) below the U.S. means. Adult values for anthropometric measurements reflect childhood stresses of malnutrition and disease, and a lifetime of accommodation to a high-carbohydrate, low-protein diet, and hard physical labor. Females are significantly closer to the U.S. standards than males for weight, height, BMI, and arm circumference; these findings support the idea that females are buffered from environmental stresses relative to males. In addition, females exhibit significantly more variability than males for weight, arm circumference, and head circumference, but not for height, suggesting that variability in adult height does not reflect the presence or absence of female buffering or the level of environmental adversity.